Hebrews 1

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

September 2, 2020

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

This is the last in our series of messages on the five Christology chapters in the New Testament: John, Chapter 1; Ephesians, Chapter 1; Philippians, Chapter 2; Colossians, Chapter 1; and now Hebrews, Chapter 1. Those five chapters, perhaps more than any other, speak of the centrality, supremacy, preeminence, and sovereignty of God.

In my previous message last week, I shared some things about the last of the last days. Among other things, I shared that the history of God's chosen people repeats itself, sometimes three or more times. That is because human nature never changes. Before continuing in this message from Hebrews, Chapter 1, I want to mention one additional truth concerning the question that a brother asked during that message last week. If I remember correctly, he asked if the Antichrist is a man or a spirit. The short answer is that antichrist is a spirit, but an evil spirit that looks to enter a human body. Let us see what Scripture has to say about this.

The Apostle John said, in 1 John 2:18, "Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time."

1 John 2:22, "Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son."

The word "denieth" means to reject or renounce. 

John 4:3, "And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world." 

John 1:7, "For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist."

All angels are spirits, not human beings. We read about Lucifer, a chief angel, who rebelled against God and became Satan. That is recorded in Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28. He also persuaded one-third of the angels to be part of his kingdom. Their purpose is to deceive, to lie, to kill, after which they look for another human body to enter. Scripture also speaks of the purpose of those angels that have remained faithful to the Lord. We will see that later in Hebrews, Chapter 1.

Ephesians 2:1-3, "And you hath He quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others."

The word "world" is "cosmos." We shared last time that Satan has his own kingdom and his own power within his kingdom. It is known as the "cosmos" or worldly system. It is also known as Babylon.

The phrase "prince of the power of the air" refers to the ruler, or number 1 angel of the worldly system, namely Satan, who has authority or jurisdiction over the dark spiritual realm. It has nothing to do with the physical air that we breathe.

Matthew 16:23, "But He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind Me, Satan: thou art an offence unto Me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."

Obviously, Peter was not Satan. Jesus was speaking, not to Peter, but to a spirit named Satan, who, at that point in time, had blinded the understanding of Peter.

Luke 22:3, "Then entered Satan into Judas surnamed Iscariot, being of the number of the twelve."

Judas speaks prophetically of the false religion. To the best of my knowledge, this is the only verse in the Bible that explicitly says that Satan himself entered into a human being. However, that event will be repeated two last times. As we mentioned last week, Babylon consists of three parts ... economic, political, and religious. Soon, the world economy will collapse and our dollars will be almost worthless. That will result in riots, lawlessness, and anarchy. That will set the stage for the New World Order, or the beast that rises up out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-10). That first beast, which is the political ruler, will bring order, apparent peace and will rule for 3 and 1/2 years. He will also be worshipped and cause men to worship Satan, the dragon.

Then the second beast, the religious ruler, shall rise from the earth to deceive them that dwell on the earth (Revelation 13:11-18). That beast will be the summation of Antichrist who will try to cause all men to worship the first beast. Although Scripture does not explicitly say so, I believe that Satan will enter, temporarily, into both of the two beasts, which will be men.

Now if you have your Bible, please turn to Hebrews, Chapter 1. In this Chapter we read about the antithesis of the antichrist, namely Christ Himself ... the antithesis of the beasts in Revelation 13.

First, a little background ... Although the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews does not identify himself, for at least 1,200 years, from 400 to 1600 A.D., there was little doubt that this letter was written by Paul. The academic theologians and literary critics weighed in to suggest other possible authors, such as Barnabas or Apollos. However, the best proof that Paul wrote the Letter to the Hebrews is 2 Peter 3:15, 

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;" 

So if the Epistle to the Hebrews is not the letter than Peter referenced, where is it? Of course, the letter was written through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, so to argue about the human being who penned the letter is a waste of time.

No New Testament book gives us such a glorious picture of Jesus Christ in all the splendor of His manhood and in all the majesty of His deity. There is no other book in the New Testament which is more worth the effort to understand. Although today we will look at only Chapter 1 of Hebrews, I encourage you to read the complete epistle. The major theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as both the revealer and the mediator of the grace of God. Perhaps the key thought to this whole letter is that Jesus is the one Person who gives access to reality and access to God. The letter was originally addressed to the Diaspora, the Jewish converts living geographically outside of the land of Israel and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or at least to incorporate much of the Mosaic Law into the true gospel. Jesus said that the Law was fulfilled by Himself (Matthew 5:17-18 and Luke 24:27). The author of Hebrews makes clear, in 22 verses in Hebrews, Chapters 7 and 8, that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and made superior by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Epistle to the Hebrews was also intended to prepare the Diaspora for the impending disaster of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. In like manner, this epistle is intended to prepare us for the impending judgment of God which must come soon.

Hebrews could also be called "the book of better things" because the two Greek words for "better" and "superior" occur 15 times in the letter. This letter to the Hebrews (and to us) clearly sets forth the superiority of new revelation through the Son of God; the superiority of Christ compared to leaders of the Old Covenant; the superiority of Christ to the angels; His superiority to Moses; His superiority to the Aaronic priesthood; the superiority of the Son's faithfulness; the superiority of the Son's work; the superiority of the Christian faith; the superiority of the Father's way; and the superiority of the Christian life in the Church as well as practical guidelines for Christian living. I heartily recommend that every professing Christian prayerfully and carefully read the Epistle to the Hebrews over and over again until the truth therein becomes flesh within.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2a Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,

All Old Testament writers are here viewed as prophets in that their testimony was preparation for the coming of Christ. Many years ago I heard with my natural ears, a rather mature Spirit-filled minister of God say, or at least strongly imply, that prophets are no longer relevant or needful because now Jesus has spoken to us. I said nothing but I strongly disagreed both then and now. Of course, some Christian churches believe that neither apostles nor prophets exist anymore. But Ephesians 4:11-13 says, 

"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

Those verses state that the five-fold ministries exist until we all come unto a perfect man. Are all Christians perfect? If there are no longer any apostles or prophets, then there are no longer any evangelists, pastors, or teachers.

So what does the comparison between Verse 1 and Verse 2 mean? Another translation of Verse 1 is, 

"It was in many parts and in many ways that God spoke to our fathers in [or by] the prophets in time past." 

Under the Old Covenant, God used His prophets to speak His truth in fragments, as needed, but it was never out-of-date or irrelevant. As it was under the Old Covenant so it still is under the New Covenant. His prophets today still speak His truth in fragments ... in parts. The author of Hebrews in no way was trying to belittle the prophets; his purpose was to establish the supremacy, the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Paul said, in

1 Corinthians 13:9-10, "For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away."   

Of course, there are many more false prophets today than true prophets. That has always been true. Just think of Elijah and the 400 prophets of Baal to get a comparison.

Note in Verse 1 that God spake in the past by the prophets to the fathers, but now He speaks to all believers by (or through) the Son. The problem with His chosen people has never been a lack of God speaking; the problem has always been a lack of hearing and obeying on our part.

2b whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds;

3 Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;

From Verse 2b and Verse 3, we see seven great descriptive statements about the Son of God.

(1) The Father appointed the Son to be heir of all things.

Romans 8:17, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."

The incarnate Son, having performed the work of redemption, was gloriously exalted to the position of the firstborn heir of God; i.e., He received the inheritance of all things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. In Scripture, almost every time we read of suffering for His Name, glory follows closely behind. 

(2) "By Whom also He made the worlds."

John 1:3, "All things were made by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was made."

Colossians 1:16, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:"

(3) "the brightness of His glory."

The brilliance of the natural sun is inseparable from the sun itself. In like manner the radiance of the Son of God is inseparable from Deity, for He Himself is God.

John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

(4) "express image of His Person"

Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son Himself is God, He is the absolutely authentic representation of God's being.

John 14:9, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

(5) "upholding all things"

This does not speak of the natural realm; it does not speak of a natural heavyweight-lifter. The Son dynamically holds together all that He created.

Colossians 1:17, "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist."

"Consist" means to "sit together."

(6) "purged our sins"

Through His redeeming death on the cross of Calvary.

Romans 14:9, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living."

"Revived" means "lived again."

(7) "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"

Being seated at God's right hand in the spiritual Holy of Holies indicates that the work of redemption is complete and that Christ is actively ruling with the Father as Lord over all.

Mark 16:19, "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

Returning now to Verse 4 of Hebrews, Chapter 1. Verses 4-14 of Hebrews, Chapter 1 establish the superiority of Christ as compared to the angels.

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

To Jews, a name stood for the full character of a person in all he was and did. To most Jews, angels were exalted beings, especially because they were involved in giving the law at Mt. Sinai, and to the Jews the law was God's supreme revelation. This explains why the comparison of angels and the superiority of Jesus is mentioned first.

Hebrews 2:2, "For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;"

That angels were active in giving the law is indicated by a number of different verses, such as Psalm 68:17, Galatians 3:19, Deuteronomy 33:2, and Acts 7:38 and 53, 

Acts 7:38, "This is He, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us:"

Acts 7:53, "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." 

In Verses 5 through 14, Christ's superiority to the angels is likewise documented by seven Old Testament quotations, showing that He is God's Son, that He is worshiped by angels, and that although He is God, He is distinguished from the Father.

5 For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

"Thou are My Son, this day have I begotten Thee"
This verse (from Psalm 2:7) is quoted in Acts 13:33 as fulfilled in Christ's resurrection.

"I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me a Son"
The Jews acknowledged 2 Samuel 7:14, of which this passage is a quotation. Jesus is neither an angel nor an archangel; He is God's Son.

6 And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.

"firstbegotten"
Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the natural world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation ... priority, preeminence, and sovereignty.

Psalm 89:27, "Also I will make Him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth."

"let all the angels of God worship Him"
This phrase clearly establishes the superiority of Christ over the angels.

7 And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.

Psalm 104:4 speaks of a storm, wind, and thunder as agents of God's purposes. The Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament) reflects the developing doctrine of angels during the 400-year period between the Old Testament and the New Testament.

8 But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.

This verse intimates the deity of the Messianic and Davidic King, further demonstrating the Son's superiority over angels. This is quoted from Psalm 45:6-7.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

All Christians are called to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ in every respect. Therefore, we too should love righteousness and hate iniquity. A true prophet of the Lord and a long-time personal friend of mine wrote the following (and much more) about the love-hate paradox of Jesus. I quote ...

"Jesus apprehended and called me in the 1930s. I have never found, nor does it exist in Him, the capacity to hate another human being. Without question, "God is Love." He has revealed His quality of love completely in His Son Jesus. He so loved corruptible mankind that He gave His only Begotten Son to redeem us.

I cannot find any hate in Jesus who asked forgiveness for His murderers while the nails were still pinning Him to the Cross. If our goal is to love mankind any less than this, we are liars, have never known Him, and the truth is not in us. God is love and He, by nature, must love absolutely. Although true, this is sometimes hard to handle. It does not jade or eliminate the necessity for jurisprudence and the verdicts of criminal justice.

This creates the ultimate oxymoron, Jesus, full of grace and tender mercies, has a love-hate relationship with Mankind. In that He is omnipotent and loves absolutely, then His 'hatred' has to be absolute.

It is required that to know Him as 'love' necessitates that I know 'what it is' that He loathes. This love-hate relationship is a refining testing tool for Christians.

I am not generalizing but there is a great deal of frustration and sickness in the Church because of loving the wrong things while subtly tolerating a few of the right ways of the Lord.

There is absolutely no redemption for whatever it is that He hates (Revelation 21:8). He hates cowardice, unbelief, abominations, murder, sexual immorality, sorcery, idolatry and lies.

Inescapable, without gradation, all these are objects of the Lord's absolute hatred.

Every other unnamed thing on His hate-list is physically and spiritually involved with Lucifer, the one who generated evil.

Although our Father works all things according to the counsel of His own will, it does not minimize the vital exercise of 'our will' in determining our own destiny. Nor does it give credence to the spurious doctrine of universal reconciliation.

In Revelation 2:6 Jesus said, "I hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans." He admonishes Ephesus to repent for leaving their first love while commending them for hating what He hates. The church at Ephesus was short on love. Perhaps their disdain for the deeds developed into hatred for the people involved in the hated deeds.

Revelation 2:15. He corrects and calls Pergamos to repentance for not hating the doctrine of the Nicolaitans. The blood of martyrdom, doctrine of Balaam, eating things sacrificed to idols, and sexual immorality all consummate in the Nicolaitans. The church at Pergamos fell short on 'hate.' Living in a locale of such concentrated evil, it was called 'Satan's throne.' They were commended for many things but their non-offensive tolerance diminished their hatred for the things that God hates.

A paradox: Through His love He cleaned up people, like you and me, who were once on His hate list; Now we love everything He loves and despise everything He loathes.

I say all this to emphasize, if any man's message is based on people bashing, hate mongering or Church-splitting, it would not in any degree be from Jesus who loves absolutely. We should all have a passion to know, in every detail, exactly just 'what it is' that Jesus vehemently detests.

The object of His hatred is so important that after His ascension He sent a special messenger to dictate a message taking up 22 chapters in the Bible. The letter to the Church in Revelation ends at 22:21 not chapter four. All this to describe just exactly 'what it is' that He loves or hates. Jesus defines, describes and titles one of the most despicable things on His list; Giving it the infamous title, 'Great Harlot.' Jesus demonstrated that He loves harlots but hates harlotry. He entered the temple one day and was questioned by the chief priests and elders about the source of His authority. He chided them with, "Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you." Matthew 21:31.

Why did He write all this to the Church? Because He, not only being Lord, was born into a race whose history is marked by idolatrous, spiritual harlotry. They killed their own prophets for admonishing them. Unbelievably, their offspring whitewashed the tombs of their historical prophets, while religiously killing their own.

Many in Christendom are currently deeply enmeshed in religious harlotry. Why do we have to be reminded to the point of insult? Because our generation has lost its spiritual senses and reasoning faculties to the point it cannot tell the difference between what the Lord loves and what He hates." (end quote)

Returning to Hebrews, Chapter 1 and Verse 10.

10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands:

As in Verse 8, this is a passage addressed to the Lord as applied to the Son.

11 They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.

These verses are quoted from Psalm 102:26.

13 But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?

"sit on My right hand"
This is a quotation from Psalm 110, Verses 1 and 5. It occurs at least five times in the Book of Hebrews.

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Christ reigns; angels minister to Christians, who are sent to serve.

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!

Hebrews: Chapter 1

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

March 31, 2021

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

Although the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews does not identify himself, for at least 1200 years, from 400 to 1600 A.D., there was little doubt that this letter was written by Paul. The book was, and still is, commonly called "The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews." The academic theologians and literary critics weighed in to suggest other possible authors, such as Barnabas or Apollos. However, the best proof that Paul wrote the Letter to the Hebrews is 2 Peter 3:15, 

"And account that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation; even as our beloved brother Paul also according to the wisdom given unto him hath written unto you;" 

So if the Epistle to the Hebrews is not the letter that Peter referenced, where is it? Of course, the letter was written through the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, so to speculate about the human being who penned the letter is a waste of time.

Considering all of the revelation that Paul received, who else could have written 

Hebrews 5:10-11, "Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. Of Whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing."? 

In addition, Paul, in 2 Corinthians 12:4 says that he "was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter."

No other New Testament book gives us such a glorious picture of Jesus Christ in all the splendor of His manhood and in all the majesty of His deity. No other book in the New Testament is more worth the effort to understand. The major theme of Hebrews is the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ as both the revealer and the mediator of the grace of God. Perhaps the key thought to this whole letter is that Jesus is the one and only Person who gives access to reality and access to God. From 

John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me."

The book of Hebrews, among other things, is a book of contrasts between the old covenant and the new covenant. For example, Hebrews 1:1-2 contrasts how God spoke unto the fathers by the prophets but now speaks to us by His Son. Chapter 1 also contrasts the Son with angels, and contrasts the Lord with those things (the earth and the heavens) made by Him. Chapter 2 compares the word spoken by angels with our great salvation. Chapter 3 contrasts Moses and Christ. Chapters 3 and 4 compare works and rest. Chapters 5 and 7 compare the Levitical priesthood with the priesthood after the order of Melchisedec. Chapters 5 and 6 compare babes in Christ with those who are of full age or mature. Chapter 7 contrasts the daily sacrifices required under the old covenant and the once and final sacrifice of Christ Himself. Chapter 8 speaks of the tabernacle built by man and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched. 22 verses in Chapters 7 and 8 state that the Old Covenant has been fulfilled and made superior by the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. Chapters 8, 9, and 10 also contrast the old covenant and the new covenant. Chapter 11 compares the faith of many notable old testament men and women to "some better thing" which God has provided for us. I believe it is fair to say that the "some better thing for us" is the faith of God Himself, of which we can and must partake. Chapter 12 contrasts the earthly Jerusalem and the heavenly Jerusalem; it also compares the "mount that might be touched" to mount Sion and the city of the living God. Chapter 13, in Verse 9, contrasts grace and doctrine; it also contrasts altars in Verse 10. This last contrast (on altars) would be easy to overlook, yet it is vital to the believers' well-being.

The letter was originally addressed to the Diaspora, the Jewish converts living geographically outside of the land of Israel and who were being tempted to revert to Judaism or at least to incorporate much of the Mosaic Law into the true gospel. Jesus said that the Law was fulfilled by and in Himself (Matthew 5:17-18 and Luke 24:27). However, this epistle is for every Christian over all of time, particularly those who still want to abide by some elements of the Old Covenant. Today, there still is a very strong and widespread move within genuine Christian churches to incorporate parts of Judaism into our services and life. Some of the things I have heard and read, written by Christian pastors of many long years, are actually heresy. For example, one pastor, who encourages incorporating some Jewish rituals, customs, and feasts into Christianity, wrote, "If it had not been for the Jewish people, there would have been no Jesus." I call that gross error. My Bible says the exact opposite. Jesus said, "Before Abraham was, I am" (John 8:58).

The Epistle to the Hebrews was also intended to prepare the Diaspora for the impending disaster of the Roman destruction of Jerusalem. In like manner, this epistle is intended to prepare us for the impending judgment of God which must come soon.

Hebrews could also be called "the book of better things" because the two Greek words for "better" and "superior" occur 15 times in the letter. The letter to the Hebrews (and to us) clearly sets forth the superiority of new revelation through the Son of God; the superiority of Christ compared to leaders of the Old Covenant; the superiority of Christ to the angels; His superiority to Moses; His superiority to the Aaronic priesthood; the superiority of the Son's faithfulness; the superiority of the Son's work; the superiority of the Christian faith; the superiority of the Father's way; and the superiority of the Christian life in the Church as well as practical guidelines for Christian living. I heartily recommend that every professing Christian prayerfully and carefully read the Epistle to the Hebrews over and over again until the truth therein becomes flesh within.

Hebrews, Chapter 1, is one of five Christology chapters in the Bible. We have previously shared messages about those five Christology chapters, which are John 1, Ephesians 1, Philippians 2, Colossians 1, and Hebrews 1. Like the four other Christology chapters, Hebrews, Chapter 1 speaks of the centrality, supremacy, preeminence, and sovereignty of God. Please turn to Hebrews, Chapter 1.

1 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets,

2a Hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son,

All Old Testament writers are here viewed as prophets in that their testimony was preparation for the coming of Christ. Verse 1 says that God in divers manners spake in time past by the prophets. Several times God spoke through a prophet but the prophet never spoke one word.

Acts 3:24, "Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days." 

That implies that a prophet does not necessarily have to speak words audible to human ears. Indeed, the Lord told Ezekiel to prophesy to the wind and to the mountains. In addition,

Isaiah 20:2-4, "At the same time spake the LORD by Isaiah the son of Amoz, saying, Go and loose the sackcloth from off thy loins, and put off thy shoe from thy foot. And he did so, walking naked and barefoot.

And the LORD said, Like as my servant Isaiah hath walked naked and barefoot three years for a sign and wonder upon Egypt and upon Ethiopia;

So shall the king of Assyria lead away the Egyptians prisoners, and the Ethiopians captives, young and old, naked and barefoot, even with their buttocks uncovered, to the shame of Egypt." 

The wife of Isaiah is called a prophetess in Isaiah 8:3, but scripture never records one word that she ever spoke. Scripture does not even give her name. The only thing recorded about Isaiah's wife is that she bore two sons.

Hosea 1:2-3, "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.

So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." 

About 50 years ago the Lord made it very clear to me that He had placed us in a Virginia suburb of Washington, D.C., not to do something and not to say something, but primarily just to be one of some number of believers to hold back the forces of evil in Washington, D.C., just by the presence of Christ within us.

Returning to Hebrews 1:1, many years ago I heard with my natural ears, a rather mature Spirit-filled minister of God strongly imply that prophets are no longer relevant or needful because now Jesus has spoken to us. I said nothing but I strongly disagreed both then and now. I will certainly agree that the Father desires for all of us to hear His voice directly through His Son, but the Lord speaks to us in a multitude of ways, even through a donkey or a rock, if need be. Of course, some Christian churches believe that neither apostles nor prophets exist anymore. But Ephesians 4:11-13 says, 

"And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:"

Those verses state that the five-fold ministries exist until we all come unto a perfect man. Are all Christians perfect? If there are no longer any apostles or prophets, then there are no longer any evangelists, pastors, or teachers.

So what does the comparison between Verse 1 and Verse 2 mean? Under the Old Covenant, God used His prophets to speak His truth in fragments, as needed, but it was never out-of-date or irrelevant. His prophets today still speak His truth in fragments ... in parts. The author of Hebrews in no way was trying to belittle the prophets; his purpose was to establish the supremacy, the superiority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Of course, there are many more false prophets today than true prophets. That has always been true. Just think of Elijah and the 400 prophets of Baal to get a comparison.

Note in Verse 1 that God spake in the past by the prophets to the fathers, but now He speaks to all believers by (or through) the Son. The problem with His chosen people has never been a lack of God speaking; the problem has always been a lack of hearing and obeying on our part. Returning to 

Hebrews 1:2b, "whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by Whom also He made the worlds;

Verse 3, "Who being the brightness of His glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high";

Verses 2b and 3 list seven great descriptive statements about the Son of God.

(1) The Father appointed the Son to be heir of all things.

Romans 8:17, "And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together."

The incarnate Son, having performed the work of redemption, was gloriously exalted to the position of the firstborn heir of God; i.e., He received the inheritance of all things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. In Scripture, almost every time we read of suffering for His Name, glory follows closely behind.

(2) "By Whom also He made the worlds"

Colossians 1:16, "For by Him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him:"

(3) "the brightness of His glory."

The brilliance of the natural sun is inseparable from the sun itself. In like manner the radiance of the Son of God is inseparable from Deity, for He Himself is God.

John 1:1, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."

John 1:14, "And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth."

(4) "express image of His Person"

Jesus is not merely an image or reflection of God. Because the Son Himself is God, He is the absolutely authentic representation of God's being.

John 14:9, "Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?"

(5) "upholding all things"

The Son dynamically holds together all that He created, both naturally and spiritually.

Colossians 1:17, "And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist," [or "sit together."]

(6) "purged our sins"

Jesus purged our sins through His redeeming death on the cross of Calvary.

Romans 14:9, "For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living."

(7) "sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high"

Being seated at God's right hand in the spiritual Holy of Holies indicates that the work of redemption is complete and that Christ is actively ruling with the Father as Lord over all.

Mark 16:19, "So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, He was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God."

Returning now to Verses 4-14 of Hebrews, Chapter 1, which establish the superiority of Christ as compared to the angels.

4 Being made so much better than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

To the Jews, a name stood for the character of a person in all he was and did. To most Jews, angels were exalted beings, especially because they were involved in giving the law at Mt. Sinal, and to the Jews the law was God's supreme revelation. This explains why the superiority of Jesus over angels is mentioned first.

That angels were active in giving the law is indicated by a number of different verses, such as Acts 7:38 and 53, 

Acts 7:38 "This is He, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sina, and with our fathers: who received the lively oracles to give unto us: 

Acts 7:53 "Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it." 

In Verses 5 through 14, Christ's superiority to the angels is likewise documented by seven Old Testament quotations, showing that He is God's Son, that He is worshiped by angels, and that although He is God, He is distinguished from the Father.

5 For unto which of the angels said He at any time, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee? And again, I will be to Him a Father, and He shall be to Me a Son?

This verse (from Psalm 2:7) is quoted in Acts 13:33 as fulfilled in Christ's resurrection.

"I will be to Him a Father and He shall be to me a Son"
The Jews acknowledged 2 Samuel 7:14, of which this passage is a quotation. Jesus is neither an angel nor an archangel; He is God's Son.

6 And again, when He bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, He saith, And let all the angels of God worship Him.

The word "firstbegotten" means the first born from the dead. Although scripture speaks of several different people being raised from the dead, such as Lazarus, all those later died again. Just as the firstborn son had certain privileges and rights in the natural world, so also Christ has certain rights in relation to all creation... priority, preeminence, and sovereignty.

Psalm 89:27, "Also I will make Him My firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth." 

The phrase, "let all the angels of God worship Him," clearly establishes the superiority of Christ over the angels.

7 And of the angels He saith, Who maketh His angels spirits, and His ministers a flame of fire.

8 But unto the Son He saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of Thy kingdom.

This verse, quoted from Psalm 45:6-7, proclaims the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and further demonstrates the Son's superiority over angels.

9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows.

Christ is the only Anointed One. There is no anointing outside of Christ. All Christians are called to identify with the Lord Jesus Christ in every respect. Therefore, we too should love righteousness and hate iniquity.

God is love. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever should believe in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus demonstrated that He loves sinners but hates sin. If our goal is to love mankind any less than this, the truth is not in us. 

Because God is love, He must love absolutely. In that He is omnipotent, His hatred also has to be absolute. To know Him as 'love' necessitates that I know 'what it is' that He hates.

There is a great deal of frustration and sickness in the Church because of loving the wrong things while subtly tolerating a few of the right ways of the Lord.

He hates pride, unbelief, abominations, murder, sexual immorality, sorcery, idolatry and lies. In Revelation 2:6 Jesus said, "I hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans." Every other thing He hates is spiritually involved with Lucifer, the one who became evil personified.

He admonishes the church at Ephesus to repent for leaving their first love while commending them for hating what He hates.

Therefore, we should love everything He loves and despise everything He hates. Many professing Christians are currently deeply enmeshed in religious harlotry. Our generation has lost its spiritual senses and discernment to the point it cannot tell the difference between what the Lord loves and what He hates.

Returning to Hebrews, Chapter 1 and Verse 10, which is a word from the Father to the Son.


10 And, Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of Thine hands:

11 They shall perish; but Thou remainest; and they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

12 And as a vesture shalt Thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.

Those verses are quoted from Psalm 102:26.

13 But to which of the angels said He at any time, Sit on My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool?

This quotation from Psalm 110, Verses 1 and 5 occurs at least five times in the Book of Hebrews.

14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

Christ reigns, angels minister to Christians, and we are sent to serve ... to minister to the Lord.

Abraham, Moses, David, and Job, among others, are called servants of God. At least five times, Paul states that he was a servant of God. Lord, make all of us Your ministers! Of course, the greatest Servant of all was and is Jesus.

For hundreds of years many Biblical scholars have talked about four so-called "servant songs" in the Book of Isaiah: Isaiah 42:1-4, Isaiah 49:1-6, Isaiah 50:4-9, and Isaiah 52:13-Isaiah 53:12.

The servant, to orthodox Jews is the nation of Israel, but to us Christians, the servant is the Messiah. I strongly encourage you to read all of those sets of verses. However, for now, let us read Isaiah 49:1-6.

1 Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath He made mention of my name.

An island is surrounded by water. "Isles" speaks of professing Christians who are surrounded by the humanity of the world. "Ye people from far" addresses those who have not yet experienced the saving grace of God. The word "womb" and "the bowels of my mother" have both a natural and a spiritual meaning. The natural meaning is obvious in that Jesus was born of a virgin. The spiritual significance is that Jesus was born as a Jew, as a part of the Jewish nation, whose religion was Judaism. Paul makes the same spiritual statement in 

Galatians 1:15-16, "But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by His grace, To reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:" 

I was born in America as a Gentile and my family was Methodist. Now I am a disciple of Christ and a citizen of the heavenly kingdom, where there is neither Jew nor Gentile.

2 And He hath made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of His hand hath He hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in His quiver hath He hid me;

A powerful rod of authority comes from the mouth of the Messiah. 

Hebrews 4:12, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." 

Arrows are used of God's judgment in Deuteronomy 32:23 and 42.

3 And said unto me, Thou art my servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified.

"Israel" here must refer to the Messiah through whom the Father will be glorified. He will succeed where natural Israel failed and will ultimately enable spiritual Israel (the remnant) to fulfill its "servant" role as God's messenger to the nations.

4 Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the LORD, and my work with my God.

Just as the nation Israel had toiled in vain, so Christ would encounter strong opposition during His ministry on earth and would temporarily suffer apparent failure. But despite all of the circumstances, Jesus completely trusted His Father. Should we do the same?

This is also a message for all Christians who are discouraged. The enemy will come with lies to discourage us and try to make us think that we have labored in vain because of apparent unanswered prayers and shattered expectations. It is very dangerous to allow this lie to fester in our heart. The Holy Spirit will awaken our spirit and mind to the truth that God will not fail us and that our life is in His hands.

Isaiah 65:23, "They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the LORD, and their offspring with them."

5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be His servant, to bring Jacob again to Him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.

This is a prophecy of release in the natural realm from captivity in Babylon. The spiritual significance of the prophecy is a release from the greater captivity of sin and the kingdoms of this world. 

Revelation 18:4, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

6 And He said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Verse 6 could be called the great commission of the Old Testament. The fulfillment of this passage begins with the church's preaching of the gospel to all nations and climaxes with the submission of the nations to Christ in His kingdom, which is soon to be revealed to all.

Revelation 11:15, "And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever." 

What a glorious day that will be! Amen.

Hebrews: Chapter 2

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

April 14, 2021

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message, we shared some background of the Book of Hebrews, gave a short overview of each chapter, and some gleanings from Hebrews, Chapter 1. In this message we want to look at Hebrews, Chapter 2, which continues to show the superiority of the risen Lord Jesus Christ over angels. Chapter 2 also declares the role of Christ in salvation. Revelation, Chapter 1 Verse 3 says, 

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand." 

There is a blessing in simply reading the word of God. Before we continue, let me emphasize that our purpose is NOT simply to understand the meaning of scripture, although that also is a blessing. Our purpose is to keep those things which are written therein. That, of course, is possible only by cooperating with the Holy Spirit. Let us turn to Hebrews, Chapter 2.

1 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.

Any time we see the word "therefore," we should ask why it is there for. Therefore, the word "therefore" in Verse 1 relates back to the last few verses in Hebrews, Chapter 1. We should remember that there are no chapters in the Greek manuscripts. Verse 1 says that we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard. What things? and heard from whom?

Verse 2 gives a partial answer ... from angels. Verse 3 gives the more complete answer. The last part of Verse 1 says, "lest at any time we should let them slip." That certainly implies the possibility that any Christian can let these things slip.

2 For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;

3 How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him;

4 God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to His own will?

5 For unto the angels hath He not put in subjection the world to come, whereof we speak.

6 But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?

7 Thou madest Him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst Him with glory and honour, and didst set Him over the works of thy hands:

8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under His feet. For in that He put all in subjection under Him, He left nothing that is not put under Him. But now we see not yet all things put under Him. 

Verses 6 through 8a are a quotation by David in Psalm 8:4-6. Psalm 8 is a look backward to Genesis 1:28, when God gave to man dominion over every thing that moves on the earth. Psalm 8 also looks forward to the Son of man as Jesus Christ, where God subjects all things in humanity to Jesus, the Captain of our salvation.

9 But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that He by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10 For it became Him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

11 For both He that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause He is not ashamed to call them brethren,

12 Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee.

This is a quotation from Psalm 22:22, which describes the sufferings and triumph of God's righteous servant. How does the Lord Jesus sing praise unto the Father in the midst of the Church? Jesus does not literally appear in every church gathering in the world at the same time to sing praise to the Father. This means that natural man cannot worship the Father. It is only the Christ within believers that can worship the Father.


13 And again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, Behold I and the children which God hath given me.

14 Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise took part of the same; that through death He might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;

Satan wields the power of death only insofar as he induces people to sin and to come under the penalty of sin, which is death.


15 And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

16 For verily He took not on Him the nature of angels; but He took on Him the seed of Abraham.

17 Wherefore in all things it behoved Him to be made like unto His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people.

18 For in that He Himself hath suffered being tempted, He is able to succour them that are tempted.

In those 18 verses, I counted 23 references to Jesus, 10 references to God the Father, and one mention of the Holy Ghost. That does not count the number of times we see "thy," "me," and "thou," which also refer to the Father or the Son.

The major word from this Chapter that I want to share with you comes from Verse 3: 

"How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard Him;" 

We Christians tend to take this process of salvation much too lightly after a period of time. That tends to breed indifference, apathy, and being lukewarm. Add to that the prosperity that most Christians in the United States have experienced and we have the church of the Laodiceans all over again. There is a great tendency, particularly in Evangelical circles, to reduce salvation down to forgiveness of sins and going to heaven one day. When we do that, we rob ourself of our inheritance and we rob the Lord from His inheritance. Our major thesis from Verse 3 is that our salvation is greater than we believe it to be. Note from Verse 3 the phrase "which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord." Jesus preached "repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." In scripture, the word "heaven" is a figure of speech that is frequently put for who dwells there, namely God Himself. For example, in Luke 15:18 the prodigal son said, "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee." He means he has sinned against God. Also, in John 3:27, we read, "A man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven," meaning from God who dwells there. There is a big difference between being born again, which is the initial step in salvation, and walking and living in the kingdom of God. We can have no greater attainment than simply to walk with God day by day.

Not too long ago I listened to an audio message from a good preacher who is no longer on earth. He said two things that really struck home to my spirit. I definitely agree with him. To convey his first point, he quoted many well-known ministers who all agreed that they doubted that no more than 1 of 10 Evangelicals, professing Christians, were actually born again, because they have mentally agreed with a doctrine, but have never experienced the new birth. That has sometimes been called "easy believism." I see scriptural evidence of that in at least three different passages of the Bible. One example is Gideon's army, which started with 32,000 but was reduced down to 300. A salvation that costs us nothing is not really salvation. The Lord said, to the church of the Laodiceans and to us,

Revelation 3:19, "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent." 

Then we read, in Proverbs 29:1, "He, that being often reproved [or chastised] hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy."

Paul said, in 2 Corinthians 13:5, "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?"

That verse never was intended to sow doubts in our minds. The significance is that if we have been born again, then we should know for a certainty that Christ dwells in our heart. Salvation is a process. We have been saved, we are being saved, and we shall be saved IF we continue in the faith of Jesus.

Habbakkuk 3:17-18, "Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:

Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation."

Verse 18 says that no matter what my circumstances may be, I will joy in the God of my salvation. It does NOT say I will joy in my salvation. There is a difference. Do we rejoice in our provision from God or in the Provider of our provision? Salvation is much more than a process. Salvation is a Person.

Isaiah 12:2, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; He also is become my salvation."

The second major point that really impressed me from that audio message I listened to was this. He said that if he could have his way, he would declare a two-year moratorium in which there would be NO public plan or focus of preaching salvation or how to be saved. Does that shock you? I believe he made a very good point.

The earth was cursed when Adam and Eve fell from grace. All creation likewise fell when man fell. That truth is clearly stated in 

Romans 8:22-23, "For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body." 

The whole world lies in darkness and is going from darkness to great darkness (Isaiah 60:2). The planet is falling apart because the created have rejected the Creator.

John 12:40, "He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart; that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them. These things said Esaias, when he saw His glory, and spake of Him."

That verse is quoted from Isaiah 6. God has blinded the eyes and hardened the hearts of those who do not know Him. In like manner, God is the ONLY one who can awaken us. God is the ONLY one who can open our eyes and allow us to understand with our heart. But then WE must keep those things which we have heard and seen. That is our responsibility.

Now, in case you are still a little skeptical, let us compare the way evangelism is typically carried out in contrast to the scriptural pattern given to us. Christian man's form of evangelism includes some or all of the following:

Advertise your church services in the newspaper, on radio and TV, and on the internet. Make sure you have enough natural-level attractions for people of all ages, such as coffee and doughnuts, sports teams, sell Christmas trees to make more money for the church, free mugs for first-time attendees, and on and on. Have marquees and signs outside to say "everyone is welcome," "come join us," "we are a friendly, family church with something for everyone," and on and on. Tell your church members to invite their neighbors to visit your church. When new folks actually attend your church, ask them if they want to be saved and go to heaven one day. Then tell them to repeat after you some "sinner's prayer" or quote Romans 10:9-10 and ask them if they believe that. When they say a few "uh-huhs," smile, tell them that now they are saved, and everyone claps and smiles. The result of that approach? A mixed multitude, to which now you have to preach feel-good messages on Sunday to keep them coming.

Now, did anyone say, "But brother, doesn't the great commission tell us to go into all the world and get them saved?" No, that is not what scripture says. What scripture does say is that we are to make disciples out of those whom the Lord saves. Then what IS our part in evangelism? And what is the function of one who is called as an evangelist? Let me try to answer that second question first. An evangelist, like all of the five-fold ministries recorded in Ephesians, Chapter 4, Verses 11-12, is given to the church, not to the world, to help to perfect each member of the church by teaching God's method of evangelization to the body of Christ. What IS God's plan for evangelization?

Isaiah 55:8-9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

To whom are those verses in Isaiah written? certainly not to non-believers. They are written to the chosen people of God over all of time ... to you and to me.

The best chapter in the New Testament concerning evangelism is Acts, Chapter 8. In that chapter, Philip is called an evangelist. In Acts, Chapter 6, Philip was one of seven men chosen to be deacons. When Philip went down to the city of Samaria, what did he do? He preached the word (Acts 8:5); he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ. He also was an instrument used by God to heal and deliver people who were possessed by unclean spirits. There is not ONE verse to indicate that Philip asked the people if they wanted to be saved.

Later, in Acts 8, Verse 26, we read of Philips' encounter with the Ethiopian eunuch. That encounter was clearly set in motion by the Lord Himself. Philip never asked the Ethiopian if he wanted to be saved. Instead, Philip preached unto him Jesus (Acts 8:35). After the Lord stirred up the heart of the Ethiopian eunuch, he asked Philip what he should do to be saved. Of course, Philip was prepared to answer any heart-felt plea that might come from any man.

1 Peter 3:15, "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:" 

Another scriptural example of this principle of evangelization is in Acts 16, when Paul and Silas were beaten and put into prison for delivering the young damsel from a spirit of divination. Some number of other prisoners were also in that jail. What an opportunity to preach to the other prisoners or at least to ask them if they wanted to be saved! But Paul and Silas did none of those things. Instead, from Acts 16:25-30, they waited until the jailor cried out for help.

"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 

I learned, 53 years ago, from personal experience, that God can save someone all by Himself; He can heal and deliver someone all by Himself.

Three different men, in Mark 10:17, Luke 10:25, and Luke 18:18, asked Jesus what he could do to inherit eternal life. But just as with the Ethiopian eunuch and the Philippian jailor, Jesus had never asked them if they wanted to be saved. Of course, Jesus preached the kingdom of God, not how to be saved.

Now let us consider what our part is in evangelism. Of course, we always have an over-riding truth, from John, Chapter 2. Whatsoever He says to you, do it. There is no substitute for hearing the voice of the Lord and obeying. However, may I suggest a possible three-part pattern in man's actions pertaining to evangelism.

The most obvious first step is to be an example of His grace. This is a difficult first step for most professing Christians because man, by nature, is a "doer." The Lord is more interested in our becoming like Jesus than any or all of our works. Words mean very little to non-Christians. One reason for that is because they see hypocrisy in the lives of professing Christians. Of course, Jesus, when He walked the face of the earth, was the perfect Example to all men. That is one reason why He attracted so many people. Mark 12:37 says the common people heard Him gladly. It was the religious elite of the day who crucified Him.

I suspect that some ministers have said that the field most ready for harvest is in our own backyard. That includes our own family members, neighbors, those we work with, close friends, and even fellow Christians. Several years before the Lord sovereignly apprehended me, during the lunch break, five or six co-workers would gather together in a small conference room and play pinochle for an hour. I played with them a few times. One day I went to the conference room at lunch time to play pinochle with the boys, but the game had already started. When I walked into the room, one of the young men said, speaking of me, "Here comes the preacher." I had never talked with any of them about the Lord, church, or any type of religious involvement. Perhaps he had noticed that I did not behave the same way that they did.

The second step is to pray and intercede for those whom the Lord lays on our heart. I know for a certainty that several people prayed for me that I might come to know the Lord. One of those was my maternal grandmother, who always lived with our family from before I was born.

The third phase of our involvement is to be a witness to the amazing grace of God. From Acts 1:8, Jesus said, 

"But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth." 

Note that Jesus said we should BE a witness unto Him, not speak or do a witness to other people. Note also that the first place we should be a witness is in Jerusalem, which speaks of our own back yard. A witness only testifies to what he has seen or heard. As a witness, we can only testify to that which we have seen, heard, and experienced of the life of Christ.

In the first epistle of John, chapter 1, verses 1-4, John writes, 

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

(For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full." 

Mark 1:33-39, "And all the city was gathered together at the door.

And He healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew Him.

And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, He went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

And Simon and they that were with Him followed after Him.

And when they had found Him, they said unto Him, All men seek for thee.

And He said unto them, Let us go into the next towns, that I may preach there also: for therefore came I forth.

And He preached in their synagogues throughout all Galilee, and cast out devils."

Jesus always preached the gospel of the kingdom of God. Verse 38 is quite interesting. When His disciples told Jesus that all men were seeking for Him, He said, "let us go into the next towns." I wonder how many traveling evangelists today would say that. Or would most of today's evangelists say, "Great! They like me here and they like what I am preaching, so let's stay another week or two." Why did Jesus move on to other towns? because He knew that He had already done everything He could in that town. When men did not receive Jesus, He never ran after them and said, "Wait! Maybe you did not understand what I said yesterday." 

Paul, in Acts 17:16-33 followed the same pattern set by Jesus.

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, Him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though He needed any thing, seeing He giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after Him, and find Him, though He be not far from every one of us:

28 For in Him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also His offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33 So Paul departed from among them.

In other words, if unbelievers do not hear the gospel the first time, they will not hear it the second time. Therefore, Paul did not continue to reason with them. When Paul went to Corinth, 

Acts 18:4-6, "And he reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. And when they opposed themselves, and blasphemed, he shook his raiment, and said unto them, Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean: from henceforth I will go unto the Gentiles." 

When Paul reasoned and tried to persuade the Jews in their synagogue, nothing happened. But when Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified (gave witness) that Jesus was Christ, something happened. It was not the result that Paul had hoped for, but then Paul knew it was a waste of time to remain there.

Matthew 7:6, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." 

Back to Verse 34 of Acts 17.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

I have just suggested three things that men can do to help others to come to Christ ... be an example, pray and intercede, and be a witness, at the appropriate time, of what we have seen, heard, and experienced of the amazing grace of God. Of course, no man can save another man. 

After the unnamed woman in Mark 14:8 poured precious ointment on the head of Jesus, Jesus said, "She has done what she could." After we have done all that we can do, then the Lord must work in the heart of the unbeliever.

Earlier, I said that my maternal grandmother interceded for me, that the Lord might make me His minister and messenger. However, I am not aware that anyone was an example for me or that anyone was a witness to me of the saving grace of God. If we consider how the Lord sovereignly apprehended Paul, we see none of the three steps I have mentioned as man's part in evangelization. However, the Lord sovereignly fulfilled all three of those steps for Paul. Jesus is our perfect Example. From Hebrews 7:25, Jesus continues to pray and intercede for us. And Jesus is the only faithful witness. That confirms the three steps in evangelization ... someone we can see is an example of His saving grace, someone prays and intercedes for us, and someone is a witness to us to testify of His saving grace. What a mighty God we serve!

Until next time, may the Lord continue to bless you as you both labor and rest in His Vineyard.